


Abracadabra

by zenkitty555



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Feels, Banter, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Baggage, Falling In Love, Feelings, First Dates, Friends to Lovers, Late Night Conversations, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Sorcerers, Tony Stark Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-30 20:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13959423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenkitty555/pseuds/zenkitty555
Summary: Answers often lay in the past, and when trying to move forward, Stephen must re-examine his relationship with Tony.





	1. The Bet

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be short one shot. Oops. Very loosely inspired by Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band.

Stephen stood there with his arms crossed, leaning against the table, irritation bubbling under his skin. As Tony began to dance toward him holding a dish towel, he couldn't hold onto his feelings. There was something about the man that just enchanted him, like the first time he held a scapple, or the first time the Ancient One conjured a spell in front of him.

Giving a loud sigh, Stephen could only force a polite smile after a second.  
“ _Keep me burnin' for your love - With the touch of a velvet glove,”_ Tony sang at him.

“I’ll have you know these gloves are only made from the softest, finest, most durable leather. Now if you wish to sing something more appropriate like _Rocket Man_ , I can deal with that.”

He furrowed his brow for good measure. If he could not hold his former look of lazy indifference anymore, he was still going to give his lover a warning.

“Funny. Maybe I’ll get around to that song later,” Tony teased before continuing to hum the song.

“If I had known you were so into this, I’d suggest going out to Karaoke.”

Tony would like that, getting a few people together to sing their heart out while sharing a few drinks. Stephen thought it be a good surprise for his birthday, so he filed the idea away for later.

As Tony continued, he came closer to Stephen before placing a kiss upon Stephen’s lips. Brief and light hearted, Tony sauntered back to the stack of plates before putting them away. It was fun to watch him, and a wave of gratefulness washed over Stephen.

There had been many lonely nights spent in what had become his sanctum, where the only friends he had were the books in the library. Even now, there were weeks where he was alone, but it was more bearable knowing that there was an end to it.

When their relationship first began, Tony started to strip away all those things Stephen thought he was destined to endure, like his isolation and the severe voice in his head. Tony drew him out occasionally for some food and a drink, breaking his cycle of falling deeper into himself. Then it started to change, as if it were a new dawn, and they were learning how to flower together, gradually stripping away the winter’s frost that had stifled their energy for so long. After their confrontation with Thanos, it was the rebirth they had needed, finding themselves utterly destroyed before clinging to one another to get by.

Swaying just a little, trying not to think about all those growing pains, Stephen held on to this moment and this scene. They were alive, free, and enjoying it all. There would always be difficulties, but at least he had one more person to share with. Tony was someone who got it, but was not deep in the same line of work he was in.

“I love you,” Stephen said.

The plate Tony held fell in response, not shattering, but cracking, and Tony picked it up. Stephen watched as fingers traced over the slightly raised line, seeing if there were any sharp pieces sticking out. It was maybe not the wisest thing for him to do, but Stephen couldn’t bring himself to come closer to scold the man. He fully understood the mistake he had just made.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Stephen apologized.

“You really do pick your moments, don’t you? Is my singing really that bad?”

The words from before weren’t returned. Stephen knew why, and even if it stung, it was okay. He made his peace with that long before the phrase had left his lips. The idea had always hung there in the back of his head. He had enough to time to become comfortable with it, even if it was the first time in a great long while he felt the need to say them aloud.

Stephen tried to play it off as a joke, coming around to Tony and taking the plate from him.

“Well, your singing is part of the deal, right? So I can’t expect too much. Where else can I find entertainment and help for the Sanctum? Although, I may have to change my provider if you keep ruining the few dishes I have.”

Tony smiled his sly smile at Stephen.

“You’re going to have to pay dearly for having someone like me here. I mean look at this place. I feel like the roof is going to cave in, or something will jump out and bite me.”

It was back to the same jabs about how old and creepy the place was. Tony was never fully comfortable inside the Sanctum after the time he opened a door into a different dimension. It was one things to have windows to other places on earth, and another to face something that looked like it came from a science fiction movie, only weirder.

Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony from behind and kissed Tony on the cheek before pressing him against the counter, letting the man feel how much Stephen desired him. Only Tony slipped out of his arms before Stephen could get to too far. He looked at Stephen with a much more serious expression than minutes before.

“Should we talk about this?”

“About what?” Stephen asked.

“Don’t act like you didn’t just profess your feelings for me.”

“Well, I don’t expect you to say it back.”

“Then why does your face say differently?”

Stephen shrugged off Tony’s concern, turning away to put the cups away. He didn’t really understand why Tony was making it into a big deal. There were more pressing matters, and waiting for Tony to return his feelings was not one of them. That had only been a hope.

After he placed the last cup on the top shelf, he froze. His hand still rested lightly on the wood, his forearm lightly grazing the door of the cupboard. Breathing, his mind drifted to the possibility that Tony would end it now. It was something he would have done if he didn’t feel strongly about someone.

For the first time, he considered this was just a bit of fun for Tony, a distraction to the pain he had felt. His relationship with Stephen may have been an out from all the things he had suffered, losing so many of the people he knew.

Stephen’s skin felt hotter than before, and he clenched his teeth, trying to keep himself from making assumptions and letting it show on his face. However, his mind raced at the same pace as his heart.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Stephen replied, turning once again so that he was facing the table rather than Tony.

“Give me some time. I need some time, okay. Don’t try to rush it.”

“I wasn’t,” Stephen replied with more bite to his tone than he wanted.

“You’re pretending like you don’t care, but clearly you do.”

Stephen tilted his head back, trying to keep calm.

“You’re right. I do care, but I’m also not a child who expect everything this instant. I also don’t force people into conversations they clearly are not ready to have.”

He knew he was losing it, and he could feel the fun nature of their conversation turning into an argument he didn’t want or need.

“Hey, babe,” Tony began.

“Look, I have some things to do. If you want to stay feel free, but you can go, too.”

Stephen managed to say it soft enough and with enough control that it would sound like a neutral suggestion. He only hoped Tony took it in such a manner as he left the man in the kitchen and headed to the library.

Composing himself took longer than he originally thought, trying to distract himself with books he needed to pour over. Revising on what he had previously learned normally kept his mind busy when he was plagued by perplexing questions or concerns about the future. Only this time it was hard to succumb to their soothing lines, his thoughts instead drifting back to how they first met.

 

.oOo.

 

Peter Parker was a good kid who sometimes needed a little extra help with protecting the city. Stephen often stayed away, but since Tony Stark had asked him to help make sure Peter didn’t accidentally get into trouble too deeply, he obliged when he deemed the threats a little to out of the younger Avenger’s league.

When Mephisto decided to make some deals in Queens, it was up to him to help out. After they finished taking care of him though, Stephen could have never expected how much the teen would have taken to him. At first it was little things such as Peter popping in to check up on Stephen and bring him some bagels or donuts. One time he brought his friend with him, much to Stephen’s chagrin. On that day there were a few more items in the Sanctum haphazardly disassembled, a recurring theme with the Avengers and their acquaintances.

Then after a few weeks, he had a call from Tony Stark. Normally, people didn’t call him, but Tony really didn’t like to pop over in person if he could help it. Stephen was fine with this, as he didn’t need more broken objects littering his tables or floors.

Picking it up, he expect smooth talking from head of the Avengers, something about a big bad, or other business type things. Oddly, it was none of those things. Tony had called him because he lost some sort of bet with Peter.

Stephen patiently waited for Tony to get to the point: what he wanted from Stephen. He did not expect to hear that Tony was offering to hang out with him for an evening.

After hearing this, things started to click into place. The visits and all of his chats with Peter were most likely because Peter worried about him, since Peter knew Stephen prefered to keep his own company. Despite of all the hints he had dropped about wanting to be left alone, Peter probably took it as a call for help.

Reluctantly, he agreed, figuring that if he met Tony then Peter would soon forget about it shortly after. There was very little reason for Peter to hold on to the notion, and Stephen could go back to his work in peace. It was a good plan. Plus, he would actually appreciate a few hours to unwind. Although Tony was maybe not his first choice as someone to hang out with, he seemed like a sensible man.

When they fixed the day and time later, Stephen almost forgot about it until hours before. Too wrapped up in his books and noting some observations on a dimension he had visited days before, he only realized he was supposed to be meeting Tony because of a text asking him to confirm their meeting time. For a minute he thought about canceling on Tony, but knew that if he did that, Peter would be doing something like this again.

Stephen readied for an evening out for the first time in years, changing into some slacks and a turtleneck. Thankfully, in the cool fall weather his cloak was able to configure itself into a scarf. He would feel naked without it, normally taking it off only to bathe or sleep. With a little styling, he would look like one of those eclectic artistic types he often saw when he did venture out of the Sanctum and into the streets.

Getting there was fairly easy, as they had agreed to meet at a nearby cafe. In some ways, it felt like when he was younger and arranging a meeting between surgeries. There was a sense of obligation to this meeting in spite of not having been prompted by either party, but rather a third party.

When he walked in, he looked around noticing Tony sitting in an alcove that was fairly closed off, and his face had a weary expression to it. His mouth and eyes rested in a neutral position as he looked at some screen that was not visible to Stephen except for the edges that hovered horizontally above a small object resting on the table. Stephen’s heart pumped in his chest a little faster as he ordered his tea, an common reaction to the scene in front of him. Normally meeting an Avenger was never a comfortable experience; it was rather a foreboding sign.

He may also have become too used to being alone if Tony provoked this type of reaction out of him. There was absolutely no reason he should be reacting in such a way, and he proceeded to ignore it as he sat across from Tony.

The other man looked up over his tinted glasses, smirking a bit at Stephen before closing out whatever he was looking at. Stephen leaned to his side against the arm of the chair, his expression as neutral as possible.

“Trying to placate Peter’s concern that I’m a lonely old man that chases kids off my stoop?” Stephen joked.

Tony looked at him in surprise.

“Did he tell you that?”

“He kind of hinted at it. Never told me.”

Tony laughed sardonically and shook his head. His smile sly and warm.

“Wow. You really have no idea do you?” Tony asked.

Now it was Stephen's turn to be surprised. He truly thought this was because Peter was worried about him.

“Figures,” Tony mumbled.

Stephen’s expression of amusement fell into one of pensive consideration. There was something going on that Stephen had no idea about.

“Look. I came here because I lost a bet, and if we take a picture, then it’s fulfilled. Figured your the kind of guy who’d help out a friend, being a facial hair bro and all.”

Stephen rolled his eyes at the expression. Ever since the moniker had escaped Tony’s lips, he found it all to be a little absurd. Stephen felt that they had not established a relationship where one could freely give nickname, yet Tony seemed attached to it.

“Yea sure. What was the bet about anyways?”

“Nothing important. Peter set me up to fail one night as we were hanging out with the rest of the Avengers. He’s more clever than he acts at times.”

“I could tell that. Impressive for his age actually. And he’s a good kid with a big heart. Surprising, given what I’ve heard about his family situation.”

Tony nodded. It wasn’t a secret, but Stephen never pried. Given the tragedy in his own life, he felt deeply for the boy, who often reminded him of his sister’s stubborn free spirit. It was one of the reason he also felt protective of Peter.

“You ever meet his Aunt May? Nice woman unless you get on her bad side. Man, did she ream me out for recruiting him.”

Stephen laughed, realizing that the aunt was in the right. He too thought Peter was young for it all, but the kid was surprisingly more stable than a lot of the others. Once he got to know some of them, he realized how lucky Earth had been that this rag tag bunch were able to look past their egos to fight against those who threatened life as they knew it.

“Not surprised. But why did Peter want you to meet up with me to fulfill your bet with him? He has nothing to gain, and since you hinted it’s not due to my own isolationist tendencies-” Stephen trailed off.

Tony looked irritated, his jaw tightening just a little. Whatever Peter’s intentions were, they certainly prompted a strong reaction from Tony. Stephen felt odd being caught in the middle of this.

Taking off his glasses, closing his eyes, and rubbing at the bridge of his nose, Tony looked wearied and stressed by the line of questioning. Part of Stephen wanted to back off, but the other part of him really just wanted to know why he was dragged into this. If it wasn’t about him, it must have been about Tony. Stephen knew that much.

Tony sighed, clearly debating with himself, “I’ve had a lot of shit go down in my life, and that kid-” Tony paused, “-he’s thinking everything ends in picture perfect comfort, but it doesn’t. So he’s been trying to fix me up, but I don’t need anyone to set me up.”

The answer was not what Stephen was expecting. It was kind of interesting that Tony would share this with him now.

“I see. And for some reason, Peter thought you would be interested in me?” Stephen asked.

“Don’t flatter yourself too much. You’re not the first he’s pushed in my direction. However, you are the first outside of the compound, and the first he’s tricked me into trying to get me to date.”

Stephen grinned a mile wide, his face hurting from how good this was, “Oh? A date? Is that what you asked me on?”

“We both know I am here to get a picture, not to actually go on a date.”

“Well, if you just asked me on a date, I would have saved you some time with my questions just now,” Stephen teased.

Tony choked on the coffee he was in the middle of drinking. His face turned a blotchy pink color from the sudden coughing fit, and Stephen felt surprised by how Tony reacted. Surely the man knew he was just playing with him a bit. Stephen did not have a lot of time to be going on dates, even if he made some time for Tony now. There were always things to be done, and frankly he knew at this point it was too hard to keep a relationship going. His interested always seemed to wane after a few weeks tops anyways.

Pursing his mouth, Stephen let his mind drift to the sight in front of him as Tony wiped at his face. Tony was attractive, and even though he said the tease in jest, there was a bit of truth to it. He would have probably gone out on a date if Tony just asked him for such. It had been a long time since he had been on a real date. Even before his accident it was mostly chasing down other doctors or nurses to accompanying him to events and then back to his apartment.

“No. I’m not looking. Not interested, Strange. Not that you’d be a terrible catch.”

Stephen put up his hand to stop him from rambling further. It was easy to tell that Tony was a bit like him, tired of disappointments in his life, and Stephen knew they had been put through the ringer over the past year or so.

“Well, you came for your picture, so let's do it, and then you can have the rest of your evening free.”

Stephen sat there waiting for Tony to move next to him, but he did no such thing. Taking the hint, Stephen moved over next to him, rolling his eyes before they took the picture. The whole ’meeting’ had been a bit disappointing, but the tea was good, so he didn’t mind too much.

After they took the photo and Tony clearly sent it to Peter, Stephen got up from his seat. As he turned to leave though, Tony sighed before telling him to sit back down.

“Might as well just enjoy each other's company for a while. I didn’t come all the way into the city for five minutes. Actually, I should have had you come to me.”

Stephen smiled politely, thinking about how he would have never gone to visit Tony. There were certain boundaries he wanted to keep and visiting the Avenger’s compound crossed those boundaries.

He waited for Tony to continue, but instead Tony looked at him, lost in contemplation. In some ways, this was turning into the blind date that Peter had wanted Tony to go on with as awkward as it was. Peter somehow managed to accomplish his goal, and it amused Stephen to no end.

“What’s funny?” Tony asked.

“Nothing. I just was thinking about how when you go back, you’re sure to get a million questions about this farce of a date. Honestly Stark, do you know how to take someone on a date?”

“This isn’t a date.”

“Really? Are you sure about that?”

“Believe me Strange, if we were actually on a date, you would know. I know how to go on a date.”

Stephen was having way too much fun prodding the man, and he smiled smugly. There was something so satisfying their exchange, reminding Stephen of times before he became a sorcerer.

“I’d bet you you don’t, but you’d probably lose that bet as well.”

Tony looked irritated by his jab; it seemed that Stephen had overstepped his boundaries with that line. At times his joke went a little too far, and others took them the wrong way. After that, he was pretty sure Tony Stark would take less of an interest in him. A loss, but not an unbearable one. It wasn’t his first time.

“A little too much?” Stephen asked trying to lighten the mood.

Tony sat back, finally smiling after a moment.

“I’m tired of playing word games, mind games. It all gets a bit too much sometimes.”

Stephen nodded, whatever Tony had on his mind was deeper than it first appeared. Now it made more sense that Peter was trying to get him to go out and meet someone, only Peter probably didn’t realize why Tony was like this. Stephen also didn’t know the exact cause, but clearly Tony had been hurt deeply by something, and Stephen suspected it was not something that would be easily remedied. He too had been at that point, pushing people away, exhausted from life.

Changing the topic, Stephen made small talk with Tony for some time, not teasing him again for a while or delving into something that was too emotional. Mostly he told stories of his past and exchanged information about the city with Tony. Tony slowly started show a bit more to himself outside of his work as they talked about some of the things that they did when they were younger; each a little more wild. They told stories of parties and people, nothing important, and eventually parted the night in much better spirits than before.

It had been a good experience for both of them, but Stephen highly doubted they would find time together in the future. They lived in separate worlds that only occasionally crossed paths. Somehow they way they were felt right to him, or so he thought.

 

.oOo.

 

Stephen sighed, trying his best to put his meeting with Tony Stark behind him. Something didn’t sit well with him, but he couldn’t figure out what. Even as he continued on with his daily tasks, he often recalled the way Tony looked and talked. There were deeper feelings bubbling under the surface of their small talk, making him worry for the man a little. If Peter, who truly cared, worried for Tony, it was probably with reason.

Part of him wondered if he were projecting a little, too. It had been good to be out of the Sanctum and talk with another person; it was so hard to find someone who could get it. He had Wong, but Wong was more conservative in many ways. His sense of responsibility was more confined, sticking to the so-called old ways, even if he never stopped Stephen and his more freer interpretation. There was a sense of teacher and student still left in their relationship, as even if Stephen was much stronger now than before. Wong had seen a lot more than he had, so Stephen appreciated the other sorcerers company, but with Tony it was a refreshing change.

His pride though prevented him from reaching out. Stephen needed to keep focused on his work, and he didn’t want to neglect that. However, when Tony called him about a week and a half later, he eagerly picked up the phone after two rings. It was then he realized that he had worried for the other man more than he thought he did. There was also his selfish need to find that comfort he had felt after their first meeting.

“Hello?” Stephen asked.

“Hey. So, you want me to take you up on that bet?” Tony began after a pause.

For a moment, he forgot what Tony was referring too, but then he remembered his banter about dates in the beginning of their meeting.

“You really don’t need to do that,” Stephen replied softly.  

“So that’s a no? There you were giving me mixed signals and now? Thought it be a fun challenge to take up: trying to impress Stephen Strange.”

His voice was low, but not angry or disappointed; it was only that familiar banter that had taken place between them the times they met before.

“No mixed signals. It’s just we’re both busy, right?”

“I can go there if you really want.”

Against his better judgement to not get involved, Stephen accepted. It was nice, even if it made him feel a bit silly about how it came about. He really wasn’t trying to goad Tony into a date that time they met in the cafe. Yet, Stephen couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t pleased or looking forward to it after he hung up the phone that day. The hum in the back of his head of his contented feelings seemed to give him a little more energy, and helped Stephen to refocus on his reading.

When the actual day came, Stephen tried his best to keep himself occupied. The constant awareness of doing something out of his normal routine kept him from truly enjoying his morning, and he found it odd that he would feel like this given that he never used to feel like this. Times had changed for him. It was almost like coming out of Kamar-Taj made him into a new person, forgetting how manage these social aspects; Kamar-Taj and the New York Sanctum had indulged him in his solitary pursuits for too long.

He couldn’t help but recall Wong’s words when they first met. Maybe money truly was the only connection he had with most of the other people in his life before his accident, and now he was hyper aware of such things. Weirdly, Wong had become his friend, so he also knew there was some hope for him.

He chuckled as he thought about it, almost missing the sound of the doorbell. Waving his hands, he and Tony appeared in the study almost at the same time. Tony was startled by the experience, looking a bit nauseous from it. As Stephen had done it without thinking, he forgot such things took a bit of time to get used to. Clearly, the other man was not pleased after the initial shock passed.

“Er, sorry about that,” Stephen remarked.

It was only then he noticed that Tony looked extremely casual, and considering that Tony had bragged about his dating prowess, Stephen thought it was an odd choice of dress. He would certainly never had dressed in such a way, and he wasn’t. Granted, he had not dressed to the nines either, but it was odd the other man showed up in a light jacket and jeans.

“I think next time I’ll just wait for you to come outside.”

“Next time? That confident?”

Tony rolled his eyes in response, causing Stephen to grin. Then, there was that same tightness settling in his chest that he experienced when he was amused by someone he liked.

“Well, I just have to wait a moment for someone to come, and then we can go.”

Stephen looked at Tony as Tony looked around at this area of the sanctum. Although he had seen the foyer, this area was completely new to the him.

The first time he had met Tony, Tony had cracked some jokes about it being like a haunted mansion, but he really had little idea what these hallways and doorways contained. He wasn’t wrong, even though he had said it with humor. There were some things that went bump in the night.

“So, you live here alone?” Tony asked, clearly passing the time.

“People come and go, but I am the permanent master of this sanctum. Frankly, I don’t think anyone would want the job otherwise.”

“Not even the other guy? He seemed to know a bit about how things worked.”

He was clearly referring to Wong, and Stephen smiled, “He’s got more sense than I do.”

“Well, we all can’t be perfect.”

“I think he would agree with you there.”

Just as Stephen finished his sentence, Wong walked into the open room, “Glad to know you’ve come to understand this, Strange. Stark, good to see you in more agreeable circumstances.”

Tony nodded in his direction, as Stephen thanked Wong for coming. He didn’t know why Stephen was meeting Tony, as they weren’t those kinds of friends, but he did know it was more personal than professional. Stephen had been nervous asking about it, but Wong agreed to look over the Sanctum for the time being.

Shortly after settling some other small matters of business between him and Wong, Stephen and Tony left. This time they walked out the door and into the city. Like most days, the street was relatively quiet even if it wasn’t empty, and Tony stopped for a moment, looking at Stephen.

“Where to?” Stephen finally asked.

“Not too far. You’ll see when we get there.”

Secretive, but smartly so. The competitive side of him was judging Tony on his approach, remembering the brag. Some things would never change about Stephen, and he still retained his fire to do and be his best. It was hard to rid himself of the habit, even though he knew there would always be someone out there who could do better.

As they walked down the street, past the subway station and towards Washington Square Park, Stephen looked around. For a moment, it all seemed normal. Then it hit him that it was all a little too normal -no one bothered Tony. Stephen figured he’d be noticed. He imagined Tony being bombarded with request for autographs or selfies, but no one did. Everyone went about their business without really looking at them. Even when they ducked into a small food shop, clearly a local favorite amongst the crowds of students, no one paid them any attention. The guy behind the counter filled Tony and Stephen’s orders like anyone else's, too busy to take a look.

After getting their order, they went back towards the park, and they took their place on the bench, Falafels in hand. They watched some older men playing chess at a table in the distance, and Stephen was surprised by how good he felt. There was an ease to it all. Even though he had expected to be wined and dined at some bistro, this was much more satisfying. He felt young and free -a fleeting feeling these days. Tony smiled as he finished a bite.

“It’s been a while. The further upstate you go, the harder it is to get good food like this without having to fly it in,” Tony finally said.

“Not so sure about that, maybe there's some good stuff in Albany or Buffalo.”

“Haven’t traveled that far upstate,” He paused for a moment before continuing, “Well, I haven’t traveled that far and stopped.”

Stephen took another bite, trying not to drip the sauce on his clothes, and he understood why Tony was dressed so casual. Stephen looked like a professor, while Tony looked like your average New Yorker enjoying a quick bite. Things were starting to make a little more sense, and Stephen couldn’t help but smile.

“There’s some nice places up there,” Stephen remarked absent mindedly, thinking of the times him and Christine would drive up for a conference or to get away for a day or two.

There was a lull in their conversation as groups of people filed by, clearly coming from some event or happening over at the college. Sometimes Stephen was envious of such people, how everything seemed so much more simple now. None of them gave Tony or Stephen a look, clearly engrossed in whatever chats they were having. Talks that him and Tony would be having in a different, alternate reality. It was not lost on him that things were quite different elsewhere. Yet, for the first time in a while he felt content in this world.

“Not good enough for you?” Tony enquired, gesturing to their situation.

His tone was curious, and Stephen looked at him startled.

“No, this is actually kind of perfect. I’m sorry. I’m somewhere else normally. I’ve not been on a date in a while,” He paused uncomfortable by his confession, and laughed to cover up his embarrassment, “No time when you’re protecting the earth from mystic threats.”

“You have time. You just don’t want to.”

Stephen sighed in response, before Tony continued.

“I know, because I’m the same. I don’t really know why you have no interest, but it’s okay not to want to do this -put yourself out there.”

Sorrow lay in his voice; the same kind of sorrow Stephen felt when he thought about all those people he had disappointed in the last few years, and not just in romantic situations.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Stephen asked softly.

Tony turned his head towards Stephen and smiled a brilliant smile that nearly took his breath away. His heart started to beat a little faster, his cloak felt a little too tight, again wrapped around his neck as a scarf.

“Yea, you’re here. Although, I’m pretty sure it’s for a free meal.”

“You got me,” Stephen joked back.

“I knew it.”

They continued to banter about and talk about nothing too deep for the rest of the evening. There was an ease that fell between them, as if they were old friends catching up or killing time. The way they clicked before seemed to intensify in the park. They didn’t even notice how long they stayed there. The sky went dark, and the air became chillier, but both of them made no move to go.

At a different time in his life, Stephen would have become bored and suggest they go somewhere more fun. Most likely to a bar or back to his place. Now though, he was different. Even in the short time he had know Tony, Tony seemed different as well from that first day they met.

Only when the park started to clear out from the late evening strollers did they decided to call it an evening. Stephen, Tony, and the cloak went back to the sanctum, taking their time as Stephen described how things had changed in New York since he came to the city as an undergrad. It was fun reminiscing about the little farm boy from Nebraska, long gone along with most of the stores that once lined the street. In return, Tony often made fun of his nostalgia, clearly preferring the future.

Eventually, they stopped in front of the stoop of the Sanctum, and looked at one another with contented expressions crossing their faces. Stephen was intoxicated on all the good feeling from the evening, and it looked that Tony felt the same. It was at that point, he decided to pay Tony back for making him feel like this. Only, the response he received was unexpected.

“Wait, what are you doing?”

“Clearly, leaning in to kiss you. Isn't that how the end of dates should go? You’ve proven me wrong, Tony. You do actually know how to go on a date, even if you never specified your reward. I was thinking this is the most fitting.”

Tony grinned, but looked away.

“If I told you I just wanted to prove you wrong, would you believe me? No?”

Stephen moved in a bit closer, giving Tony an out if need be. However, Tony allowed him to continue so that their lips met and parted. Stephen was able to taste Tony mixed with some of the more potent ingredients from their dinner, and he wanted more. It felt a little bit like back when he did this regularly. All of the hesitation and worry from earlier in the day and earlier in the week melted away.

There they were, and it had been a surprising journey until this point. When they parted, Tony gave him a smug look, understanding how he had made Stephen feel.

“Go on inside to your guardian now. I’ve brought you back safe and sound,” Tony teased.

At another time and in a different place, he would have invited Tony in, but he decided it was best if they left it here for that night. He wished Tony a good night before closing the door.


	2. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings in the end notes.

When Stephen stepped back into the Sanctum, he found Wong standing there with arms crossed, waiting for Stephen in the foyer, and looking less pleased than normal.

“Yea, I know. Sorry, I didn’t call, but I don’t have your number.”

“There is a reason I didn’t give it to you. Next time be a little more aware of the time,” Wong grumbled.

Wong didn’t ask where he was, or what he was doing, or remark on the goofy grin that was clearly on his face when he entered. Instead, the man walked away to head back to Kamar-Taj, obviously tired from waiting. Stephen felt a bit guilty, and it reminded him once again of why he didn’t date. Tony had been partially wrong that he didn’t want to; it _was_ a lack of opportunity. It was also true that he didn’t make opportunities as well, so Tony wasn’t completely wrong. Life was like that a lot of the times for him.

Sighing as he looked around, he realized for the first time since the battle in Hong Kong that he had given up quite a bit in order to do this. This was satisfying, more than all of his relationships he had been in, but there had been times it was taxing. Now the newness of it was wearing off, and the grind of taking in new information on a day to day basis felt like he was in the middle of something, much like med school. There would be a time where it would all be much more familiar, but now he still knew he had more work to do.

Eventually Stephen went to bed, deciding that he would deal with it in the morning.

In the morning though, he found much of his opinion unchanged from the night before -that it may not be in the cards for him. Yet, when Tony texted him, telling him to have a good day, there was that puddle of warmth that formed inside his abdomen and seemed to directly connect with his cheeks; keeping him feeling warm and in good spirits for the morning and afternoon. It was funny how those little things could change him for the better.

Then nothing came for a while, and he was a tad disappointed. As he once again reflect on the night before, Tony seemed to be the same as him. His motives for the date murky and his actions confusing, holding back from showing anything too real. For a moment, he wondered if Tony was turned off from Stephen’s self involvement as so many had.

Sometimes he wished to go back to the person he was before. If there was a switch to his new found compassion, he’d be tempted to flip it back to the off position.

After some time waiting, he sent a message. Then there was nothing, so he moved on, trying to get through the hours and the day. In the back of his head though, there was a low buzz of tension caused by confusion, slowly led to a headache.

By the end of the day, when Wong stopped by for a visit, he was tired and wanted only to retire to bed. Instead, he found himself standing in one of the rooms they normally didn’t use, staring into an empty bowl. The ruins carved upon it now as familiar to him as the Sanskrit in his texts -the norms of his life.

“This should tell us what he’s been up to,” Wong stated as he waved his hand across the wide mouth of the ceramic piece.

“How long are we just going to let him keep doing this?” Stephen asked as they watched the image appear.

“As long as he’s not causing widespread devastation.”

“Isn’t it better to stop Nightmare now than let them to continue to wreak havoc on his victims?”

“Yes and no. He wants confrontation, Strange, and he wants to lure us into his realm, where we will be subjected to his rules.”

“But you think I’m not ready.”

Wong looked at him straight and with fear in his eyes. At that moment, Stephen knew that despite all of his progress and strength, Wong worried for his safety.

“You’re ready, but-” Wong trailed off, clearly not wanting to reveal some detail to Stephen.

“What is it?” Stephen asked, worried.

“Things don’t work the same there. You’re ready mystically, but emotionally it will change you. There have been a great many who have come back too altered to function.”

Stephen didn’t ask how he knew that, because Stephen could tell he knew from first hand experience. The fear behind his eyes was too great to be garnered from just a text or a secondhand account. It probably also was the reason he was hesitant to take the fight to Nightmare. He also had heard stories, but had yet to experience it first hand. For an entity so scary, Nightmare had been quiet for a long while.

“No point putting it off.”

“Stephen, not now. Not unless things escalate.”

Wong turned away from the bowl and the image disappeared. He walked towards the door, most likely not to leave, but to head to the library as they often did. They would pull books and discuss them, give interpretations, and talk of general things related to work or life. Only this time Wong hesitated. He stopped at the door, something clearly bothering him. It wasn’t Nightmare, otherwise he would have continued talking; it was something else.

“I hope what happened yesterday was nothing to do with the Avengers. You seemed to be hiding something.”

“Trust me, nothing to do with the Avengers.”

Wong didn’t press any further. Once again Stephen was reminded that those boundaries between them still existed, and he knew that it was like that with good reason. For all the rumors that swirled around Kamar-Taj, it seemed that Wong was one of the very few left of a batch of sorcerers that were taken in a little more than two decades ago. All the others had left or been killed. It startled Stephen at first when he heard that, but now he could understand.

As they continued with one of their nearly nightly chats, Stephen felt the tension leave him, and by the time Wong left, he felt ready for bed. There had been a lot to go through mentally and emotionally. They had fallen deep in thought about what they needed to do, and how he could prepare for the next challenge. Stephen knew there would be more, because there was always more.

Even after Wong left, he couldn’t help but spend a little while longer thinking about it. It was like a puzzle calling to him, enchanting his mind away from his personal life. Only when he was heading up the stairs did it occur to him to check his phone. Surprisingly, he found that he had missed a call from Tony. His heart beat a bit faster as he went to return the call.

When Stephen heard Friday patch him through to Tony, he grinned as he was not greeted with the normal ‘hey’ or ’hello’ most people would.

“You know the other night, that kiss wasn’t what we were betting on.”

“You should have clarified the terms then.”

That caused Tony to huff a little with a incredulous laugh, and it put a smile on Stephen’s face.

“You want to come here?”

“Mmmm, want? Yes. Can? No.”

“Well do one of those things you do, and I’ll come over.”

“Is this a booty call Mr.Stark?”

There was silence from Tony and for a fraction of a second, Stephen worried. Did he miss read things? Tony’s voice had practically purred in his mind. The flirtation from the night before seemed to return, but Tony was often a harder person to figure out than others.

“And if it were?”

It was all Stephen needed to hear as he made a portal.

As the sparks became wider, he startled Tony -who dropped his cup of whatever he was drinking all over the floor. His phone was still on as he scolded Stephen for his sudden interruption. Stephen could hear alarms going off in the background, and realized how his snap judgement accidentally turned into a bigger mess than he was meaning for it to. He thought it be cute or clever, showing off. Friday, or whatever other AI Tony had did not seem to be as amused.

“You could warn a guy. Who knows what I could have been doing,” Tony said as he hung up the phone.

It took Tony a minute before he stepped through, clearly not used to portals yet even though he had used them with Stephen before. For a guy who was so steeped in technology, he seemed spooked by magic quite a bit. Stephen could understand to a degree, but he had become so used to pushing the boundaries of reality at this point, it was second nature not to guess anymore.

“I highly doubted you were using the bathroom, or naked in your bedroom.”

“You never know,” Tony chided him.

As the portal closed, Tony shook his head ever so slightly. A curious expression crossed his face, but also a small look of distaste. Getting to know one another a little more was an interesting experience, and Stephen wondered if they would eventually fall apart like many of his other relationships had. He was a doer, not a talker for the most part. He had a feeling Tony was the same, and he knew it could backfire spectacularly in the end. At the same time, he could work on that as well. He did want to be a little less closed off from the others.

“So, did you call me for a booty call?”

Tony shook his head as he smiled wide, “Really? Are we going with that now? -And maybe I just came to talk about our bet.”

“Our bet. Sure. We can pretend that you came because of that.”

Stephen’s voice dropped low in a way that would normally cause his partners to practically melt when he was with them. He knew how to use his voice. Surprisingly though, it had no effect on Tony.

“We had a good time the other night, until you had to go home. I was a bit sad you didn’t invite me in though for some desert. Seems like those countryside manners have fallen by the wayside.”

“I’ve spent more of my life living here than there.”

“Touché.”

“So do you often wait so late to return messages?” Stephen asked.

Tony looked at him, clearly thinking about how to answer that question.

“Why? Were you disappointed?” Tony sighed before continuing, “I work best at night. Things are a bit clearer, easier to sort through. Quiet.”

There were sometimes these little moments of honesty between the two that Stephen appreciated. They danced around a lot of topics, teasing, joking, but the few times they started to talk with a little more realness, it was a great feeling. Part of Stephen knew that this was just the beginning with their synergy, but it didn’t mean they couldn't build a foundation for something more sturdy.

Stephen showed Tony to the study. They had been in it before, but this time there was no formality to it,. They just plopped themselves in the seats as if it were a common room in a university. Only tonight there would be no others coming in and out. It was good for them to keep things so quiet.

“You shouldn't be put off from my lack of promptness,” Tony warned, “Plus you missed my call.”

“I was busy.”

“Doing?”

Stephen sighed, weighing if it would be worth it to talk to Tony about this sort of thing. It wasn’t as if he could mess with their plans, or even interfere, but he'd be trying to wrap his head around the kinds of things out there. The Ancient One had been right that there were things that would cause people to run in terror. Even now he knew there were things out there much scarier than Dormammu or Thanos. While Tony may have faced Thanos with him, Nightmare was a different breed of frightening. He knew Tony had a small taste of this after Stephen had a discussion with Ms.Maximoff one day. Her powers were probably the most similar to Nightmares realm: chaotic, unpredictable, and surreal. There were facets though that went beyond what a human witch could do. Only, Nightmare’s reality could be never ending.

Against his better sense, he told Tony what was going on, and to Tony’s merit, he managed to hide his reaction for a little. Then it seemed he had a limit as Stephen expanded on his description.

Stephen stopped as silence fell between them, and he realized how he had gone too far. He apologized to his guest, who had been flirting earlier, and now just looked incredibly uncomfortable. His tendency to ramble about the realities of it all always spooked others, but with those familiar, he had grown comfortable.

“Well, that sounds terrifying,” Tony finally replied.

“If you don’t know what to expect.”

Tony looked at him in disbelief, and Stephen thought he himself may be downplaying his own expectation for his own sanity. Things blurred together after a while when it came to the unknown, less scary than when he started.

“I’m sure you’ll do well. I’ve seen you in action.”

Stephen lazily smiled at Tony. It wasn’t often he heard praise from others, but it was still good to hear it. He knew too that most would never have even lasted this long as a sorcerer to be able to get to the level he was at.

“You’re rather impressive yourself.”

“I know,” Tony replied smoothly.

“So what about our bet?” Stephen asked, wanting to clear the room of the emotions from the previous topic.

Tony smiled that mischievous grin at him once again, as if he had been planning this for longer than Stephen had realized. For a fraction of a second, he wondered if there was ever really a bet with Peter to begin with, but he knew that Tony would have had his pick of whoever he wanted and Stephen was more difficult than most. Why would someone pick him if they knew of his personality?

Only Tony didn’t say what he wanted for his prize, which made Stephen’s mind play with the possibilities. Surely, it would be something not too obscene. Tony wouldn’t be one to use his power against others. Stephen knew he was the best kind of man inside.

“So? What is it?”

“I’m gonna save it.”

“You can’t do that.”

“I won, you lost, and there were no conditions.”

“Fine. Then you really did come for some ‘desert’.”

“No, I just came to keep my own nightmares at bay. It’s hard to find others to talk to at this time of night. I figured if anyone was up, it be you.”

When Stephen heard that, he felt a little silly about it. His mind may be in the gutter, but Tony sure was taking his time. Stephen could have never predicted things to unravel like this, so slow and unsure. Even now Stephen liked to go at the fastest pace possible, and if got him in trouble, it was expected. He thought Tony would work at the same pace.

“Ah. Well, I don’t have any spells for that,” Stephen joked.

“Didn’t expect such things.”

“Oh.”

He didn't know what to say next. Tony came to talk and kill time. It had been a long, long time since he had done such things. Decades may have even passed; his memory was rather fuzzy when It came to those sorts of things. It was as if he forgot how to talk about normal things. All he and Wong did was talk about work, or occasionally reminisce about their past together, nothing further than that.

As Tony looked at him with an expression that reflected Stephen’s own feelings of tiredness, Stephen could only wait. It was always hard to wait, but it wasn’t as if he could force the other man to talk. He didn’t have that much to say now without a topic. Clearly Nightmare was off the table at this point, and he didn’t want to scare his guest further.

“The thing I like about you Stephen is that you never look at me with sad eyes of pity. It’s refreshing,” Tony said.

Stephen stayed quiet, knowing there was more to follow after a moment. But hearing others looked at Tony with pity was something that surprised him, as Tony was not someone to be pitied in his mind. There was probably something he was missing though, as they were never close before.

Sure enough the bombshell he heard next put things into perspective.

“Every day I wake up and have to look at the other Avengers, and I know all they think about is how much pain I must be in after losing Pepper. As if I don’t already feel enough without them reminding me.”

It was hard to swallow at that moment. Keeping his face from showing what he was thinking was a hard task as well. Still, with all those years of training in breaking bad new to families, it was not impossible. Neutral and silent, he knew there was no other reaction people could take or want. Clearly Tony wanted to get this off his chest, and Stephen could only listen. Stephen could tell that he didn’t want a shoulder to cry on, only to let it out.

In some ways, it was another story of loss to pile on the others. A feeling all too familiar to him as he got older.

“When I’m with you, I can forget a little. You know? I feel a bit bad about this,” Tony continued, waving his hand between them, ”but I need a break sometimes. To allow myself to feel not so terrible every waking moment.”

Stephen nodded slowly, showing that he understood where Tony was coming from even if he didn't know the whole story. There were always articles in the paper of how Tony Stark and Pepper Potts had been tied together, but none of it had been confirmed before Stephen had left for Nepal. When Pepper died along with the others, he had known Tony felt it, but he had no idea how important she was to Tony. He had been too busy trying to put other things back together. Being that this was the first time hearing about this from Tony, he felt a bit torn internally on his lack of information.

Stephen didn’t know what to say for a moment after, but decided the best way was to say what he thought.

“Well, my door will be open. I don’t expect anything from you. Your friendship is enough for me.”

Inwardly, he cringed because it did show his hand a bit more than he wanted, but it wasn’t anything Tony didn’t know. When Tony nodded in response, Stephen felt a bit better about it.

As Tony got up out of his seat, he smiled sadly, and walked over to Stephen before bending down and surprisingly kissing him on the forehead. There was nothing incredibly special about it, but he felt touched by the gesture. He knew deep down inside it comforted Tony as much as it encourage him.

They seemed to have fallen into these motions of sincere moments intertwined with playfulness, and it kept Stephen interested. These times where Tony gave a little more, it pulled Stephen in deeper. He could deal with this being the only thing Tony would give him. It was becoming something precious to him.

“I think it’s time I head back. Sorry if I implied more, but I’m tired. I think you understand,” Tony said patting him on the shoulder.

Stephen understood, and then said his goodbyes before making a portal for Tony. There was a lot to digest from their meeting. Although Stephen was feeling tired earlier, he knew sleep wouldn’t come for sometime.

 

.oOo.

 

As he sat there with Wong, they both seemed to be lost as they typically were. He wasn’t sure what Wong was thinking of, but he had been thinking about their discussion of Nightmare that had happened about thirty minutes earlier. After Wong had told him that Nightmare would go after those he cared for if they could not get what they wanted from Stephen, he worried. He worried for Christine and for Tony, only because he knew Wong could hold his own. The other two would need to be on their guard, but at the same time, he knew that he couldn’t prevent it as easily as he could with some other threats. It would only take Nightmare to get into his head to find out that information. Nightmare could torture them in a place they would never escape -a place where Tony’s armor would do no good: his own mind. Christine would be even worse off, even if she was one of the most clever people Stephen knew.

It was hard to let go of the images in his mind, racking his brain for any spell he could modify, wards he could put in place. Yet, he could think of none for the mind.

“Do you have anyone you care about?” Stephen asked quietly.

Wong seemed surprised by the questions. It was fairly vague and open, and Stephen guessed that of course he had someone he cared about. Most people did, even if they didn’t talk about them as much as they maybe should.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”

Stephen hadn’t expected that answer, and he felt embarrassed when he realized that Wong thought he was asking if Wong cared for him.

“No, I mean outside of Kamar-Taj. Every day I was there, it seemed like all the students didn’t really care about the outside world so much. I mean, we weren’t super friendly or anything, but it always seemed like everyone was around all the time.”

Wong gave him an odd look, before responding.

“Stephen, I don’t think you were paying attention outside your own self made bubble. We all have people, but you were more focused on books than actually interacting. On review though, I think it’s one of the reasons she chose you for this.”

Who she was didn’t need to be clarified. There was only one she that Wong could be referring too. Much like Stephen and Mordo, it seemed that she didn’t have anyone else, and that was the other person he interacted with the most. All three of them were too similar even with their differences. He now realize it had made Stephen’s impression that much deeper and set, so that he never reflected on the other students.

Wong sighed before continuing, “For someone so smart you really lack powers of observation when it comes to people.”

“How do you keep them safe?” Stephen interrupted.

Tilting his head ever so slightly, Wong’s expression was graver than normal; his eyes averted to the picture on the wall. For a minute, his breath caught in his throat, thinking of the worst. Once Wong rolled his eyes though, Stephen breathed a little easier.

“How did you manage not to crash your car?”

A low blow if there ever was one, but Stephen understood the point he was making. After Wong made his jab, his expression softened into one of sympathy.

“There are no guarantees. Frankly, we are both lucky to still be alive at this point. The only thing you can do is keep going, and keep some physical distance.”

It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but it made sense.

“Okay.”

There was some silence as Wong studied Stephen’s face, clearly looking for his reaction. They did this often, still figuring out how to make their friendship mix with their duties.

“Don’t close yourself off, Stephen. That’s the wrong way to go about it.”

“You speak from experience,” Stephen hesitated to add.

“I speak from observation.”

And that was the end of that conversation. What Stephen took from it was something that he felt would be useful: a balance between personal and profession. Yet, his whole life had been built on him throwing himself into his work, so the balance would not be an easy one to achieve. There would be a learning curve he would have to experience. Wong seemed to know this as well with all his talk of his power of observation.

When Wong left, Stephen considered how he would proceed with Tony. Christine was easier, as they rarely met and talked. She was busy at the hospital and probably still wary of him. They were trying to rebuild their friendship, and after a few different events, Christine became a go to person for him when things got difficult. She didn’t want to know about the magical stuff, but the medical things they could still bond on. Once they even managed to have a cordial drink together without any of the underlying problems of the past coming up. That night was one of the better ones, and he could only hope to continue to have those kinds of chats with her in the future.

Tony though was harder. Stephen didn’t want to put him in danger, and he didn’t want to close off what they did have. It was going to be trickier. Still, he was going to try, and that was all that mattered.

 

.oOo.

 

Tony came over more and more frequently after the night he confessed to Stephen that he enjoyed spending time with him, and Stephen even managed to go visit Tony a few times. It did take a while for Tony to really drop some of those barriers between them. For all of the assumption that Stephen had about being closed off himself, he eventually realized he was rather an open book compared to this other man. Somehow, he had made peace with a lot of things over the last few years. And even if he did not lay out his entire history, if asked about it, he would share readily. Tony though, wrestled with things beyond him. So Stephen did not attempt to push or prod, but waited knowing it would come one day.

Then there was a night when Tony came through the portal, and they went about their normal routine of walking to the study. But as they headed there, Tony’s hand grabbed Stephen’s sleeve. His eyes, still behind his tinted glasses, told him everything he needed to know. It wouldn’t be the study that night. Somewhere more quaint and private. Stephen knew it could only be only one room in the Sanctum, his room. He felt his face flush a bit in response, unsure what had changed in Tony.

“Nightmares?” He managed to ask despite the tightening in his throat.

“Something like that.”

Without a word, Stephen showed him the way to the end of the hall on the third floor. He opened the door into a room; his room that only contained a covered four poster bed and a chair next to the vanity. It was simplistic, without the finesse of the other rooms. It lacked almost everything that was not used daily. It was nearly the only room without books in it, and he kept it clear to keep his mind clear. It truly was a room only for sleeping.

“It reminds me of my grandmother’s,” Tony finally said after taking a good look around.

“It has its charms.”

Tony nodded in response, before walking over to the vanity and putting his hand on Stephen’s laptop, the only modern thing in the room beside his phone in his pocket and charger near the bed table.

“Do you want a drink?” Stephen asked.

Tony seemed more tense than usual, with the way that his head hung and his shoulders looked. His head tilted slightly to the side as he looked at Stephen.

“No, I’m fine.”

His small smile reassured Stephen, a sigh leaving his lips before Tony’s body relaxed.

“I can’t believe you’ve not suggested we do this before,” Tony said moving towards Stephen.

“I’m not even sure if we should do this now,” Stephen murmured.

He didn’t stop Tony from running his fingers over the overlapped fabric on his clothing. From the top to the bottom, his hand traveled before fanning out over the belt.

“We can stop,” Tony murmured.

Stephen's mind was already three steps ahead, and the furthest idea floating around in it was stopping what they were doing. If Tony didn't object, who was he to do so? He had been thinking about this moment, fantasizing about it when he was alone for quite some time now. Tony was attractive, made more attractive by their efforts to get to know one another, and it had been so long to have someone touch him. Stopping would only be on the agenda if Tony wanted him to stop.

As they came closer, his cheek pressed against Tony’s as they stood apart ever so slightly and Stephen closed his eyes. Tonight he would just feel and not think. His mind switching off for once.

Tony too didn’t say much as they started, only talking when it was necessary. It didn’t mean he was silent or quiet, as Stephen knew exactly how to play him. There was nothing better to Stephen's ears than hearing his partners let loose, and Tony was no exception.

The only time that gave him pause was when Tony confessed that he hadn’t been with a man in a great long while, and although Stephen didn’t reassure him with words, he managed to make Tony feel more relaxed with his gestures and controlled the pace of how they went. There were moments when they both stopped to appreciate one another, feeling each others warm body pressed against their own. 

Tony took his own time to trace the scars Stephen had picked up along his journey in life, even as Stephen ignored Tony’s. Although he did not mention it, he found it fitting there was one over Tony’s heart to match his own. Both of them clearly having been at death's door more than once in their lifetime. Their histories seemed to compliment and contrast one another in odd, unexpected ways.

The biggest surprise for him in the night was when Tony didn’t make to go back home right away. There had been a sense of urgency when he came, and Stephen was unsure if he just was scratching an itch with someone he trusted, or if it would be something more. He felt like they had crossed a very important bridge. Even if it took quite some time to get to this point, it was an important step and he was glad.

As they lay next to one another breathing in and out without exchanging a word, it felt soothing. There was some worry on his part that Tony would slide away from him, since Stephen would have done the same long ago. Yet, Tony seemed a lot more sure of himself than Stephen would have been. Their give and take was a little easier to understand than some of the other relationships he had in his life.

“That was nice,” Tony finally said after some time.

Stephen shifted to rest on his side, looking at Tony, who was not looking at him at first. Eventually he locked eyes with Stephen. A small smiled played across his face, but it was clear he was thinking of other things.

“I try,” Stephen joked.

“You’re not going to get all over confident now are you? I said it was nice, not spectacular.”

“Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”

“Is that your mid-western side showing?” Tony teased.

Tony moved closer to him, resting against Stephen and grabbing onto him, urging him to lay down. Clearly he wanted to sleep. He looked down at Tony, and moved to brush Tony’s hair back, studying the other man’s face. Even resting, he didn’t look at ease, perhaps from years of worries and internal turmoil. If Stephen didn’t know Tony, he would think he had a thinner skin, but he knew the man had just been through too much.

He sighed quietly to himself before sliding back down next to Tony, shutting his eyes before going off to sleep.

It was a small shock when he woke to find Tony gone. He didn't know where he went, but he figured he left for the day. However, when he found Tony in the study looking over one of the text Stephen had out, he was pleased.

Leaning against the wall, he watched for little while, wanting to be in the moment for as long as he possibly could. It was an unfamiliar feeling waking up with another person, and even if they didn’t wake up together, having someone in the house felt good. For the first time, he was optimistic he could maintain this.

Only when Tony looked up and over to see him looking did he stop, standing up correctly. Stephen smiled and rested a hand upon his forearm in a relaxed manner as he frequently did when around people he was comfortable with.

“How do you even make heads or tails of this?” Tony asked, holding the book upside down.

“Didn’t know you read Sanskrit.”

“Friday knows a bit.”

Stephen nodded, even with a translator that one would be difficult to wrap one's mind around it without the background knowledge required.

Walking over, he took the book from Tony before bestowing a kiss upon him with a little hesitation.

“A good morning to you, too,” Tony murmured after they pulled apart.

Stephen smiled at him. It was rather a good morning.

Taking Tony’s hand, Stephen lead him down to the kitchen to cook him some breakfast. In that moment, Stephen would be contented with what he had not wanting to thing about the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Specific character death mentioned for plot.
> 
> Next part will get more into what happened at the beginning of the story and Tony will start to let his guard down more. ♡


	3. The Resolution

Stephen looked through the book Wong had dropped off for him and sighed. He was embarrassed by his actions at this point. He should have bit his tongue and not have told Tony he loved him like that. Deep down inside he knew the man would not be ready, but he had not expected Tony to react in that way. He thought Tony would just ignore it.

What really bothered him was that moment where he kind of lost it. It was interesting development for sure, as he hadn’t felt a reaction that strong in a long while. Normally when he got upset like that it had been about some important point, and now he was realizing how important it had been to him after he said it.

Stephen sat there pondering upon the idea that what had just transpired may be the end of their relationship before he started to get this feeling that he was being watched. He figured that it may be Tony looking to patch things up, but Tony was not normally that shy. He’d come into the room and announce himself as he walked through the door with some sort of statement or question. Yet, it was silent. It was probably nothing but his mind was playing tricks.

Only when his cloak tugged at him did he turn. He saw Mordo sitting there on the desk, looking over the same book he had been looking over before the one in his hands currently. Mordo had a very pensive look on his face, and Stephen jumped back a little. He had no idea how Mordo got through his wards, and he worried that Mordo came from Kamar-Taj rather than the doors of the sanctum. Stephen felt a rush of concern for those in Kamar-Taj, as he knew that Mordo was still on his vendetta and taking Sorcerer's Magic. Once he was done here, he would have to go assess the damage if it were possible.

“Mordo,” Stephen said quietly.

“Oh Stephen, you look quite cozy in your new role.”

“Do I?”

Mordo quietly put the book down and stood up, looking at Stephen as he had all those years ago when he first found him. His countenance was calm and collected. Something caught in Stephen’s throat, as he knew the whole thing wasn’t quite right.

“Here you are, acting as if you are owner of this house, even going as far as to invite guests. Stark, right? I’m guessing that you’ve crossed paths a few times,” He paused for dramatic effect, “Although it’s against the rules, once again. This time you've even going as far as to involve the good ones like Wong into your schemes.”

“Have you come to take my magic?”

“Yes,” he responded frankly.

Stephen searched his brain for what exactly was going on. Mordo made no move immediately, and it was surprising given that he had always been a man of action before. Fight or flight seemed to be his motto most days. This man in front of him was not the same. Suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine. His gut told him there was something desperately wrong with scene unfurling before him.

“Where is Tony,” Stephen asked.

“He’s been taken care of.”

“What does that mean?”

“You took everything away from me, so I figured I’d do the same.”

Stephen felt like crumpling to his knees, but he didn’t. He stood there, his knees locked and legs frozen along with his hands. Fear gripped him, much like when he was a kid. It took him a fraction of a second to place why it made him feel like a kid, and he then realized why everything felt odd. Closing his eyes, he swallowed.

“But I didn’t take everything away from Mordo. I only revealed truths that were hard to take. He would know that, because he hates me for breaking out laws, not for stripping away the lies."

Mordo tilted his head in question. It was a good likeness from before, too good in fact.

“How long have I been here?” Stephen called out, spinning around the room.

“How long have you been in the sanctum?”

Mordo’s voice questioned him as if Stephen had lost a screw somewhere back there, or as if he gained a stutter.

“Show yourself. This is over. I need to know how long I’ve been here.”

If he had been in here too long, it was possible he may never be able to return. That was the dangers of this realm. There had been multiple recorded cases of people who had become lost in dreams only to wither and die. It was unknown how many; their deaths often attributed to natural causes by those who did not know how to look for the signs. At least if he were to die, Wong would know the reason for it.

Even though he called Nightmare to come forward, the demon did no such thing at first, and then Stephen remember how to summon them from their hiding. It was a simple spell, something even a low level master could produce. He could not predict its power though.

The sanctum walls melted away, and he was left with a figure that looked like a being, but their presence radiated a crackle of energy that made the hairs on his skin stand up. Looking into the creatures dark, dead eyes, Stephen summoned magic to protect himself. Although Nightmare could alter their surroundings and create realities that did not exist, they could not stop magic.

“How long have I been here?” Stephen asked.

The demon ignored him for a good while, studying him until their steed came to them. The horse looked gaunt, like something out of the fantasy novels of his youth.

Somehow, Stephen held steady.

It was a good sign that the being was not engaging with him. Had he been drained of his life, he was sure Nightmare would have gloated. Even though this was their first meeting, he had a feeling they were not the type to play games unless they had to.

“Stephen Strange. We finally meet.”

“Yes. I didn’t expect it to happen this soon.”

“I’ve seen you monitoring me in hopes to prevent my activities.”

Stephen nodded in response. Nightmare could easily have slipped into his or Wong’s subconscious as they slept, even without dreams.

“But you are preoccupied by so many other things. I’m surprised you caught on.”

It only took a small error, and had Nightmare not included Mordo into his scheme, he probably would have never picked up upon it. Had they kept using the complicated relationship he and Tony had as the main focus for their world, Stephen was sure that he would have died, wrapped up in his feelings and future.

He swallowed hard. It would take quite a bit to banish Nightmare for now. There would be no bargaining, and banishment would only be temporary. It was like this with all the other times Nightmare had visited current and former masters, and Stephen knew it. He and Wong had talked at great lengths about such things; unless that was also part of this dream world. It made no sense if it were, but that was part of Nightmare’s whole strategy: to make it seem so vividly real.

After that point it was more a test of speed and power to see who would succeed. With Stephen eventually winning out over the entity for now.

Then, as sudden as Stephen’s spell finishing, his eyes opened, and he realized he was in his room. The sun shown through his curtains, but the sunlight was partially blocked by a figure. When Stephen turned his head, he saw it was Wong staring out of the window, and Tony was sitting in the chair next to his bed. He sat up slowly, feeling stiff and pained by how long he must have been there. Having no idea what day or time was disorienting.

“Stephen,” Tony gasped.

Wong turned as Tony put his hand over his own mouth, and a wave of fear gripped Stephen’s heart. How much of it was real? Did he really sleep with Tony? Did Wong and him have all those conversations? He was fairly certain this was not part of Nightmare’s realm anymore, but he wasn’t sure when he slipped into that reality or as it was a lack of reality.

What had been real for him, was not real for the others.

“I thought we lost you. I told you not to go after Nightmare, but I don’t think you listened.”

Stephen’s throat felt dry, and it was hard to speak in response to Wong’s chastisement. At that moment he wasn’t sure if he should even defend himself. It was possible that he somehow did summon Nightmare on accident.

“If I did, it was not intentional,” Stephen finally croaked out.

“You okay there?” Tony asked, clearly trying to ignore what was going on between Wong and Stephen at the moment.

“Yea, I’ll be okay. I think.”

Yet, his gaze couldn’t meet Tony’s quite. The man’s intense eyes worried over him, and guilt came with that look. He watched Wong instead; worry slowly dissipating into understanding and resignation. Even though Stephen wanted answers, and Wong clearly wanted answers as well, they wouldn’t do it in front of Tony. There would be some discussions that would follow for sure, but the whole experience set the two Sorcerers on edge. Stephen couldn’t let Tony see that.

“You know at first, I thought you were pissed and ghosting me for some reason. Then after calling this guy, we came to find you passed out in the library. Thought you were dead at first. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry about that.”

“What, no quips about building a new heart? Or surprise that I cared so much?”

Stephen closed his eyes for a moment, his head swimming in the muddled haze of feelings. Maybe he should have been more expressive, but that was not him. He didn’t know how to do that, at least not at this moment. Maybe when things started making more sense it would be easier.

“Stark,” Wong finally said with a warning tone.

“Okay. I get it. I’ll go get you some tea, I guess,” He grumbled.

“I’m guessing they’re gone,” Wong finally said after Stephen heard the door close.

Stephen nodded. They both knew Wong was talking about Nightmare.

“For now. You know we’ll never be able to truly rid ourselves from Nightmare. I honestly didn’t mean to call them either. I hope you know that.”

“I do,” Wong reassured him.

He hesitated, wanting to talk to Wong about what happened, but scared to hear the answers to his questions. There were things that he didn’t want to reveal just yet to anyone, especially since all of it had felt so real. It was like his experience there was a prediction of future reality. And those things were private.

“What did we talk about the last time we met?” Stephen asked, figuring it was good to start there.

“We were talking about how to protect the ones we loved.”

Wong said it in a flat tone, most likely for Stephen’s benefit. There was no hesitation, and the fact that Nightmare was gone, probably helped them. There was no worry at this moment for the people he cared about to be hurt. At the same time, the revelation that that was the last thing they talked about hurt Stephen a lot more than it probably should have. He lived weeks in a dream, a nightmare, and even if he were asleep a few days it was still surprising how much he had lived.

“Stephen, you’ll have to fill me in later. I’m sure Stark will be back anytime soon, and you may need some time to put your thoughts in order.”

“Is that it?” He asked quietly.

Wong nodded, clearly ending their conversation for now, and he slipped out shortly after. Stephen understood that the ordeal shook him up as well. Perhaps he thought Stephen summoned Nightmare to protect those he loved, and although that was not the case, he knew they both needed time before coming together again.

When Tony came back with some tea, Stephen felt relief pour over him. He highly doubted Tony knew how to make tea the way he liked it, but it would do. There were more important matters, and he was glad he had a second chance to redo things. Only he hoped they would go differently. Still there was that pesk pang of sadness that settled in his chest, having to relive all those things in the future without knowing if he was actually going to relive them. The same nervous energy of ‘will we, won’t we’ would return. Knowing Tony was dealing with his grief, Stephen couldn’t push it like he might have otherwise.

Tony smiled softly at him as he handed Stephen his cup. In response, Stephen smiled back weakly, his heart struggling as it had been since even before waking up.

“How long was I out?” Stephen finally asked as he took a sip.

“Few days. Three, I think. We didn’t find you right away. Wong told me what was going on, but I knew you’d pull through.”

His voice said otherwise, clearly concerned for Stephen. Stephen was touched.

“And you stayed here for three days?” Stephen felt bold enough to ask.

“Two-ish. I truly thought you were annoyed at me for that night.”

“No, it wasn’t like that.”

Tony laughed. Of course he knew that now.

“You should get some rest,” He replied.

It was an uncomfortable situation, so Tony wanted to leave. He knew that it was only an excuse, because they both knew the last thing Stephen needed was rest. So when Tony got up, Stephen caught his wrist before he could go any further.

“Please stay if you can.”

With that prompt, Tony sat back down, looking at Stephen with a cautious expression upon his face. Most likely he was reacting to Stephen’s slight plead in his voice.

“I lived a lot in the span of a few days, and I -I don’t know how to continue with this. How to continue with you.”

It felt better coming out than it did sitting in his chest, but still he was left with images in his head and feelings in his heart that were not real.

“Hold up. Rewind for a second. Lived a lot in the span of a few days? What happened in there? I can’t say I get it completely, but being that ever since I met you I’ve been through some weird shit, just try to explain.”

“Wong told me when I talked to him last, I asked him about how to protect people we care about,” Stephen paused feeling the heat rise up into his face. “And then I continued living life like normal in Nightmares realm. It's a place where everything felt real and nothing was. _You_ felt real, but you weren’t. We had some ups and downs, and well, we ended on a down.”

“It’s possible this may end up on a down.”

“Yea, but I need to know if we’re going to have some ups first?”

It was laughable exposing his underbelly like this and so quickly. Before he wore his indifference as armor, but now he was naked emotionally. This was scarier than being left on Everest in some ways. At least there he possessed the knowledge in order to successfully get off the mountain. Now the ball was in Tony’s hands; he was helpless.

“I don’t waste my time, Stephen. And I’m at a point in my life where I’m not going to pursue anyone if I’m not interested in possible future with. Clearly, I’m not here to recruit you either. I hope that answers your roundabout question.”

He felt a bit stupid and embarrassed, but having to rewrite history, even a false one, was something he wasn't used to. Even though he had some previous experiences with doing so, the memories of Nightmares world would linger.

It was good to hear Tony reassure him that he at least had sincere intentions.

“So you want to talk about it?” Tony asked.

“No, not right now,” Stephen answered truthfully.

Those who understood were few and far between, but thankfully those close to him understood. That was all that mattered at this moment as both Tony and him continued to drink their tea. For now, they would move on to some different benign topics.

 

.oOo.

 

Stephen didn’t tell Tony about the ‘I love you’ part. He couldn’t bring himself to rehash that part of Nightmare’s realm. Falling in love and then having to hide it was difficult for him, but he managed, or so he assumed. Tony may have figured it out from the hints that Stephen had dropped, telling him that they had become quite close in that realm.

There was always a question since Nightmare had pulled those feelings from his mind - _Were they only close in his dreams? Did Nightmare influence him to fall in love?_ But Stephen never wanted to delve too deep into that. Nightmare had called the shots; torturing Stephen the best way they knew how, by making him doubt himself.

Yet, it was a refreshing restart in some ways, taking turns Stephen had not expected. Turns like the fact that Tony had not cornered him one night in a rush to express his passions, but rather they quietly fell into an embrace after dinner one evening. They took their time to fully explore one another before going the extra step. Much to the surprise of Stephen, there was something very soothing with the way that Tony seemed to melt under him as he brushed the man's hair back and laid kisses upon his skin.

It was occasionally disorienting, feeling as though he had lived two lives. And eventually he had to tell Wong. It had been a bit awkward at first, but when he saw that Wong listened and didn’t react, he felt his heart become a little lighter than before. All those things he had been keeping inside seem to disappear, making Stephen realize how important it was to not keep to himself so much.

When Wong told him that Stephen had lived another life, it felt reassuring to be understood. In a way too, Wong’s words felt like it was blessing for his relationship. Yes, he didn’t need anyone’s approval, but he felt good all the same. Wong was a good judge of character.

Tony too began to integrate himself more into Stephen's life and vice versa. They began to see one another almost daily. The busy times they tried their best to accommodate each other, and it was working.

When Stephen looked over at Tony a few weeks later in the kitchen, it felt like déjà vu. The same tightness settled in his chest as it did when he was in Nightmare’s realm. He closed his eyes, swallowing hard, and bit his lip to keep himself from saying anything. It was hard, and he would have let it pass had Tony not noticed.

“You doing okay? Look, I know it wasn’t the best curry, but if you’re gonna hurl, try to get it in the sink.”

Stephen smiled, perhaps a little too sadly than he would like.

“The curry was great. I didn’t know you could cook to be honest.”

“Neither did I, but since meeting you it seems to be either delivery, take out, or me cooking. Not that I’m complaining.”

“Sounds like complaining,” Stephen teased.

Tony smirked, before turning to put the last dish in the sink. If it wasn’t so like before, Stephen would have gotten up to help him, but he had to take a moment. Slowing his breathing was the only way he would manage to get past the dizzying feeling.

“You really okay?”

“Yea, just some déjà vu. Back from when I was in Nightmare’s world. It didn’t turn out well between us. And this was when it went wrong. I mean, it feels like that time. Only it wasn’t curry, and you were singing.”

“I do like to sing.”

“You are the star of your own show, Tony,” Stephen remarked smiling.

“But it went wrong?”

“I pushed a bit too hard.”

Tony nodded, understanding, but probably not understanding fully. There were so many ways to push people, and Tony had seen Stephen snap when Stephen didn’t get his way sometime. He never saw Stephen with his heart crushed. Very few had, and many of them were gone or dead.

“Well, if you push, I do come back. Unless you push too hard. Not a great trait, but I’ve come to accept my faults.”

“What are you? A yo-yo?”

“No, but I know how I can be, and I know how similar you are to me. We care too much, and I care about you a lot.”

Stephen’s mouth fell open just a little as it became harder to breath. Would Tony be the one to open up first? Since he woke up, he’d always assumed it go in a similar direction, but their relationships were taking all these twist and turns.

“I care about you, too,” Stephen replied quietly.

“I know.”

He may have wanted to reply more playfully, had he not been so surprised and touched by it all. It may not be the word love, but it was almost there. He could easily live off this for long while.

Tony walked over and gave him a quick kiss before giving Stephen that come hither look and exiting the room. Clearly reality was much better than what was in his head, and he followed Tony readily up the stairs and to Stephen’s room.

The summer sun was setting and the glow of dusk danced over Tony’s clothed form as he stretched out upon the duvet. The blue grey of his shirt turning colors to compliment his brown eyes. Stephen smiled at the sight before him.

“What are you waiting for?” Tony asked him.

All Stephen could do was follow Tony’s lead.

 

.oOo.

 

He had a mouth full of pasta when it happened. Sure enough, Stephen did it again, blurting out something he had not meant to. His mind sometimes pulled words faster than his sense could stop him, and he accidentally told Tony, ‘I love you’ instead of ‘I love this’.

Immediately he choked on what remained in his mouth, stunned; his face red by this point. If it hadn’t had been such a surprise, he would have correct himself and that would have been it. However with the choking, it really dampened the timing of his reaction.

“Whoa, no need to die to prove yourself,” Tony laughed as soon as Stephen was recovering.

“I meant to say ‘I love this’ -the pasta, the candles, the intimacy,” Stephen said after a minute.

“The company? Really, don’t you love me, too?”

Tony had a smirk playing across his face, and his eyes contained a sparkle that Stephen had seen a few times before. This time they were highlighted strongly by the lighting and the way Tony started to pull at his ear; something he did when he was amused by a situation.

Stephen took a gulp of air. It was suddenly much hotter than normal, even in his dressed down state.

“Well?” Tony prompted.

He really wanted an answer. It wasn’t just a tease, and Stephen hesitantly nodded before clearing his throat.

“I’ve been in love with you for a while.”

“ _I know_.”

“I really hope you’re not making a Star Wars reference at this moment.”

“I’m more of a Trekkie myself, but it would have been a wasted opportunity otherwise. Relax Stephen, I feel the same. I think, I love you, too.”

Now it was Tony’s turn to get quiet, before he started to push the meal around his plate a little more, smiling to himself. His grin a reassuring sight.  

“Wow. I was not expecting that. Honestly, I was going to wait till you said something. I was so scared after I came back from Nightmare’s realm,” Stephen confessed.

Tony smile turned into a smug look. He seemed to have figured it out, although how much of it, Stephen had no idea. Of course Tony was bright, but Stephen was clever too. Apparently, hiding his feelings had been a little more difficult than he had thought.

“Doesn’t matter how it came about, at least we know now. Feels better right?” Tony asked.

“Only took a few months.”

“Time heals all wounds,” Tony replied, clearly not believing the old adage.

“Yea, I guess it does.”

He too knew it wasn’t true, but time did make things a little easier to deal with aftermath.

Looking down at his hands, he knew life was a series of progressions. Joy occasionally birthed from pain. There would still be pain, but they could deal with that together. The ups almost seemingly complimented the downs.

When Stephen looked back up, he was surprised to see Tony’s smiling face hovering close to his before leaning in for a kiss.

After they broke apart, Tony looked at him before extending his hand.

“Friday, can we have some music please? Sinatra or the like. Something celebratory.”

That night they would dance, feeling like they fit together better than they ever had before. Tony just knew how to compliment him.

 

.oOo.

 

“Wow. I mean, I didn’t think you’d actually follow through with our bet and then get together” Peter said in awe.

“Hey kid, I never back down from a challenge. Especially a _strange_ one.”

“I used to think Stephen had the worst sense of humor out of everyone I knew, but I think Tony gives you a run for your money,” Christine proclaimed.

Stephen rolled he his eyes, becoming used to this story. By the third time Tony had told it, he had given up on even feeling annoyed. He figured he’d let Tony have his fun. Tony, unlike Stephen felt the need to show off a bit about how far they had come together.

“So this is really a thing, right?” Rhodey asked.

“My intentions are honorable,” Stephen joked.

Bruce, who sat opposite them already knew about the two of them, accidentally catching the both of them making out in the kitchen late one evening after eating some desert. It was one of the reason’s Stephen had kept away from the compound for a while. Although he could trust Bruce to be discrete, had the others caught them, it may have not ended there. With everything being new, Stephen had not wanted to risk it.

Wong also knew about them, and eventually introduced Stephen to his own wife, Imei. The reveal had come as somewhat of a shock. She was a pleasant and warm women, but like Stephen with Tony’s friends, she had wanted to keep her distance from the kinds of things Wong did.

Really, Stephen had come to have a relatively normal life, except for keeping the earth safe from mystical threats. Unlike the worries and nightmares that never came to pass, he had Tony, and he had friends. He had love, and that was something that he could never have predicted being able to receive ever again.

**Author's Note:**

> Kuddos and Comments are love, and really help with motivation. :)


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